In 1833, Alfred, Lord Tennyson penned the poem “Ulysses,” which chronicles the yearnings of an aging mythical hero to again set out in search of the adventures that made his life worth living. Almost 200 years later, older adults are still inspired by its message that it is not too late to “push off” and “sail beyond the sunset.” The poem’s final words are among the most inscribed words of the English language:
“…that which we are, we are;
One equal temper of heroic hearts,
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.”
Is there an age at which people should no longer strive to achieve, no longer follow their dreams? The answer is a resounding “No”! For example, is it ever too late to get that post-secondary education you dreamed of many years ago before “life got in the way”? Well, American Nola Ochs was 95 when she received her bachelor’s degree. She went on to get her master’s degree at age 98 and was the Guinness Book of World Records holder for the oldest master’s graduate. Who said there’s an age-limit on learning? Clearly, there isn’t!
But would the same apply to running a marathon? Cynics might say “almost anyone can sit at a desk and study, but what about running a marathon, which takes months and months of gruelling training?” It turns out even if you are 104, it is not too late to run a marathon because Fauja Singh was 104 when he ran the Mumbai Marathon.
Is there an age when one is too old to help others? If so, what would that age be? I don’t know, but it would have to be more than 99 years old because that is how old Captain Thomas Moore (later knighted to become Sir Thomas) was when he set out to benefit the UK’s National Health Service by raising 1,000 pounds sterling (approximately $1,760 CAD).
Captain Moore proposed to do this by walking 100 lengths of his property, which he hoped would inspire people to make donations. His efforts produced donations exceeding 33,000,000 pounds ($58 million CAD). Clearly, there is no age limit on wanting or being able to help others or for being inspiring!
Is there an age at which someone is no longer able to run a multi-billion-dollar company? If there is, Warren Buffett, 90, doesn’t know about it. Not only is Buffett known as one of the most generous philanthropists in the world, but he also still goes to work every day as the CEO of Berkshire Hathaway!
And age 92 isn’t too old either because, at 92, Jimmy Pattison still goes to work every day as the head of the Jim Pattison Group with its 45,000 employees. Maybe there is no age limit on being the head of a successful multi-billion-dollar corporation, although oddly enough, corporations barely a fraction of the size of Berkshire Hathaway and the Jim Pattison Group (and which are not nearly as successful) arbitrarily impose age limits!
In her Ted Talk titled “Let’s End Ageism,” Ashton Applewhite notes that “companies aren’t adaptable and creative because their employees are young; they’re adaptable and creative despite it.”
One fundamental change we have witnessed in our lifetime, and of which we are a vital part, is the significant and ever-increasing role of the population over 55. Not only is that demographic increasing in size, but they are helping make our planet a better place – people like Bill Gates, Anthony Fauci and Jane Goodall to name a few.
It is not “bad news” that our population is aging. In fact, that’s great news because it shows we are living longer, healthier and more active lives. More than just living longer than our parents and grandparents, we are doing things later in life they would never have attempted. Of that, we should be proud!
Despite natural aging, we only become “old” when we stop having a purpose or give up on our dreams. That is not to say that as time goes by, we may not modify our goals or the way we achieve them. At age 99, Captain Moore relied on his walker to help him realize his goal. He still had a purpose and the will to achieve it. Like Ulysses, he showed us it is never too late to “push off” and “sail beyond the sunset.”
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